God's feelings for us represent perfect example of true love

The day that I am writing you these words is Valentine's Day. By the time you read this, it will be past and gone, but just let me wish you a happy belated one. Hope you had a good day by celebrating it with that special one in your life.

Valentine's Day is a special one because it is the time when we show the ones in our life how much they mean to us. While we should do it every day, on this day we should make the extra effort to show our Valentines how special they are to use. We should say "I love you" often to our "significant other." There is more power in those words if they are said in the right way and in the right tone of voice.

All too often they are said with very little emotion and passion. It is like they just become such a routine with us that we put very little thought into them as they come out of our mouths.

When we were in the "love bird" stage of our relationship with our special Valentine, we threw that phrase around like a hundred thousand times a day. When that love bug bites you, nothing else really matters.

But some people have trouble with those three little words, especially men. It is as if they can't pronounce them. They get nervous. They become tongue-tied. Why is this? It is because those words are so powerful.

They carry with them so much emotion, and men are taught that they should not show emotion, which I think is a little ridiculous, especially given the fact that we are made that way.

God made man with a heart. I am not talking about the physical one that pumps our blood, but I am talking about the spiritual heart. I am talking about the one that can't be seen, examined or seen on an X-ray.

While the spiritual heart can't be seen, it can become apparent through the deeds we do. People can see what kind of heart we have by our actions. If we have a good, healthy one, then it will be evident by the things we do.

How is your heart? Would you say that you have a good one? Not only is it important for our physical one to be in good shape, but it is just as essential that the one that can't be seen to be in good condition.

It is good if we love and respect people. It is good if we do nice things for others and say nice things about others. We have a good one if we truly care for others and treat them like we would like them to treat us.

What would you like to be known for? What is your greatest contribution to the world? Have you ever thought about this? God forbid, but if you died tomorrow, how would you like to be remembered?

You can't take anything with you, but you surely can leave things behind, and I am not talking about money or material wealth. The greatest thing that you can leave behind is a legacy that you loved God and your fellow man.

When we think about love and how it can change the world, we think about God, for He is the embodiment of it. The world can have a kind of it, but it can't be fully realized until you know the one who is truly love.

The Bible says, "God is love" (I John 4:8). While this may be simple enough, I feel that it needs a little elaboration. Some people may read that and mistakenly assume that since they love others, then they must have God. The world has a kind of love, but the true, genuine kind can only be known through Him.

I was thinking about how different the world could be if we love others like Jesus loved us. Our Lord said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

Love requires something from us. It calls us into action. It is one thing to say we love our neighbor, it's quite another to demonstrate what we would do for them. Christ could have just come to earth and said that He loved us.

He could have taught us lessons on love and how important it is to care for each other. He could have just told us, but He went further than that. He not only taught His love and how we should have the same attitude with others, but he showed us His love by giving His life for our sins.

The spreading of His arms out on the cross was symbolic of His giving us a big hug and saying, "I love you." He loved us in a way that no other can.

He literally loved the world to death. He loved it so much that it took His life. Man didn't deserve it, and we certainly didn't earn it, but He did it because He had mercy on us.

It is sad but true: you hear more condemnation from the church today than you hear about love. As Christians, we should not be judgmental but caring. The Bible says, "For God sent not his Son to condemn the world; but that world through him might be saved" (John 3:17).

God only wants the best for us, and He gave His best when He gave His only Son on the cross for our sins.

You can know the best that God can give when you ask Him to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart as your Lord and Savior.